Firstly, here’s how Lush describes this soap on their website: “This luxurious olibanum scented blend of organic jojoba, Fair Trade organic cocoa butter and bergamot oil smells divine and feels even more so. Fresh bergamot and olibanum combine, evoking the joy of freshly laundered sheets and the scent of sweet summer rain, while a sumptuous caress of creamy Fair Trade cocoa butter from small-scale producers in the Dominican Republic leaves skin cool, calm and impossible to resist. To feel silky smooth all over, adorn wet skin in a scoop of this hydrating body conditioner, and rinse away for lasting softness. The generous combination of organic jojoba oil and soft, creamy butters will very carefully hydrate and soothe the skin for when you want extra TLC. What a softy.“

And here’s a few pictures of the soap bar that I bought:

I had tried this product before, so obviously I liked it first time around. The soap as displayed in the shop that I purchased it from had only a few bars being sold in individual slabs like this one, wrapped in this lovely recyclable paper. If you’re familiar with Lush, you may already know that the soap displays generally look something like this:

*Image courtesy of Google Images.

Giant squares or circles of soap (like a soap version of those cheese displays you get!) from which you can request a certain weight / price of soap to be cut. Therefore, prices will vary according to how much soap you request / require, and how accurately the shop assistant can weigh and cut it to size! 120g of the Sultana of Soap is priced at £4.20 (UK Price), and is possibly just slightly smaller than the bar I got.

Now, with regards to the pros and cons of this product, let me start with comparing a particular feature with the previous Lush product that I reviewed – the charity pot. Although I loved the charity pot, one of the main disappointments for me with that product was that it didn’t last very long, and seemed to evaporate from the tub. In contrast, the longevity of the sultana of soap has been one of its best features. I purchased my medium sized bar of the sultana of soap 5 and a half weeks ago, and have been using it every day, and sometimes several times a day. I use it in the shower, to wash my face, and hands, and I use it generously, and yet it is still going strong. Although it is now a lot smaller in size than when I first bought it, I can easily get at least one, if not two more weeks use out of it, using it on a daily basis! So, that is definitely a plus point for me. Even if you do buy a slightly bigger bar, you will be getting your money’s worth as it is quite long lasting.

Some other features of this product are that it lathers very easily and very well, is very soft and soothing to the touch, is very gentle on the skin, and has a light and refreshing scent to it, which comes from the bergamot oil (bergamot is also used in Earl Grey tea, however the scent of the soap is quite gentle and in no way overpowering or too strong).

The product contains dried currants (hence the name, Sultana of Soap!), and dried cranberries which are natural and gentle exfoliators for the skin. As you can see from the photos above of the bar I purchased, the main block of soap was very smooth in appearance, with the dried sultanas and cranberries being on either side of the bar. This means that you will mainly have this natural exfoliator on the outsides, but you can choose to just lather some soap into your hands and use it softly without any exfoliation if you wish, and as the soap gets used up it will become smoother and smoother in texture and appearance.

Depending on your own personal preference and the particular bar you get, you may find a downside to be the pieces of dried currants that fall off. However, if this is an issue for you, you can ask for a ‘middle bit’ of the soap to be cut for you so that you get a smooth bar of soap, and I’m sure the Lush staff will be happy to oblige.

For me, I personally liked the natural and gentle exfoliation, and I didn’t find the ‘falling sultanas’ to be too much of a problem as I kept a small container in the bath / shower, so that I could put them there and save any from going down the drain.

As I mentioned previously, I have very sensitive skin, and I also suffer from eczema, and need to be careful with the products that I use. Lush’s Sultana of Soap, however, has been very gentle and kind to me, I find the scent of the soap relaxing, the lather of the soap quite luxurious and creamy, and I have had absolutely no problems with it aggravating my skin, so much so that I have even used it on my face, which is something I have to be especially careful with in using soaps generally.

So, as for the final verdict, did I find it good value for money, and would I buy it again? Yes, and yes – however, unlike the Charity Pot, I will have to wait a bit longer before needing to replenish this product, as it does last quite a long time, which is a customer’s dream! 🙂 xx